If this is the sort of small offshore racer that IRC now promotes then the writers of that rule deserve to take a very deep bow. At this year’s Spi Ouest both the Pogo RC (seen here) and the JPK 10.50 officially broke cover for the first time, the slightly larger JPK Léon taking the two-handed IRC division in the more than capable hands of Jean-Pierre Kelbert and Alexis Loison, who between them have won almost everything there is in IRC shorthanded and fully crewed competition. Close behind with a string of second places to Léon’s bullets was the first Pogo RC out of the door, Aruba, sailed by the yacht’s builder Tanguy Bouroullec and Fred Duthil. Two fast and foxy new IRC designs winning straight out of the bag at one of the biggest IRC events in the world. IRC was never in ruder health
Yoann’s current Paprec Arkéa, made by Multiplast, has already been sold (although Yoann still has it for this year’s races). An official announcement should be made on Paprec’s plans in
July. There are also a number of other names rumoured, not neces- sarily French. Sam Goodchild, for example. We had a nice chat on the phone with the excellent British skipper, no longer part of Thomas Ruyant’s TR Racing team, but Sam seemed to be more concerned with the immediate future and raising money to continue a brilliant Imoca career. Yann Penfornis, director of Multiplast, is also discrete… He simply says that his two mystery boats are for ‘top teams’.
Let the games begin The first new Imoca of the year, launched in February, is a Verdier design, the sistership to Charlie Dalin’s VG-winner Macif and delivered by François Gabart’s company Mer Concept. She is for Élodie Bonafous, a very good competitor on the Figaro circuit. The next launch should be Armel Tripon’s interesting new Imoca,
a VPLP-designed sistership of Malizia – interesting because Armel struck a deal with Airbus Industries to use a lot of rejected carbon material in its construction. Not quite meeting the most demanding aerospace standards but the otherwise wasted material is easily good enough for other uses. So a nice case of a greener solution. In total we expect a dozen new Imocas to launch in the next three
years – several aiming at The Ocean Race as well as the VG. About the same figure as for the previous four years. Conrad Colman, for example, has a plan (Aotearea Ocean Racing) shared with his Kiwi compatriots, which involves building a new boat for The Ocean Race 2027. This crewed round-the-world race takes place on Imocas, which can later be raced solo as we saw in the last VG.
With two or more extra hands, male or female, the crewed option
certainly attracts more non-French sailors. For example, Italian, soon to be American citizen, Francesca Clapcich thoroughly enjoyed The Ocean Race she won onboard 11th Hour and her partners are now supporting her 2028 VG project by buying Boris Herrmann’s existing VPLP design, Malizia Seaexplorer. Similarly, brilliant Italian racer Ambrogio Beccaria, top Class40
competitor of the last two years, has just purchased Vulnerable, the Imoca Thomas Ruyant sailed in the last VG whose hull is identical to that of Paprec Arkéa. Ambrogio and Thomas will be racing together in The Ocean Race Europe and the Transat Café l’Or on this boat, which will be called Allagrande Mapei. The name of young Dutchwoman Rosalin Kuiper also appears
among the skippers taking part in The Ocean Race Europe in August. Rosalin, who sailed the last Ocean Race on Malizia, will be at the helm of Holcim PRB alongside Nicolas Lunven. Also Swiss sailor Justine Mettraux, who distinguished herself in the Vendée Globe, is keen to go again but on a more competitive boat… Finally, I should tell you that this is not an exhaustive list!
Head to head Two world-renowned French manufacturers are kicking off the IRC season with two new weapons, each with the highest goals: the Pogo RC and the JPK 10.50. The first fight takes place on the third weekend of April during Spi Ouest-France. Two years ago, during this same event run under the aegis of the Société Nautique de La Trinité- sur-Mer, the brand new Lan Aël 3 made a big impression by dom- inating the highly competitive IRC Two Handed category. Built for Didier Gaudoux, this 10.60m one-off designed jointly by Bernard
SEAHORSE 21
JAKEZ LE GALL
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